Summoners of Escaflowne
by Chibi Lenne
Summary: Van has a sister, but she's been spirited away and been missing since they were 4 years old, around the same time Celena was kidnapped by Ziabach. Hitomi longs to come back to Van and to the magical world of Gaia(chapter 9 now up)
1. Wishes

Summoners of Escaflowne ****

Summoners of Escaflowne

Hitomi Kanzaki sighed as she walked towards the train station, she'd been home for almost a year and a half now, and yet she still didn't feel right on the Mystic Moon. Funny, she never seemed to call it Earth anymore, not since he trip to Gaia. Her older cousin Minato walked beside her, she was the same height as Hitomi was, and looked a little bit younger. She wasn't her real cousin, just someone her grandmother had taken in off the streets when she'd been a young child. 

"Hitomi, you're awfully silent today," Minato said to her. Hitomi merely nodded her hand in her purse brushed over the soft tip of a white feather, Van's. Minato stopped and looked at her worriedly, she'd never been the same since she'd disappeared a year ago. 

"Hitomi you can tell me anything you know that," Minato said looking at her cousin's face.

"Oh, Minato, I can't, not this…it just seems so impossible," Hitomi replied very quietly.

"Nothing is impossible Hitomi, grandmother should have taught you at least that," Minato said softly. Hitomi smiled, that was one of the many things that the two girls shared, their grandmother had taught them both, and they both believed in what they'd been taught. 

"I know, maybe I will tell you, when I get the courage to," Hitomi said quietly. 

Meanwhile on Gaia…

"Lord Van!" a cheery voice yelled as a young cat girl ran into the throne room, her mouth pouting when she'd seen it empty, where was Van? She wondered. Van sat on the roof of his castle, he'd heard Merle's calls but had decided not to answer him. He was alone, the only one left in his family. He'd lost Hitomi too, at least Allen had found his sister. His own sister had been spirited away when they were about 4 or 5 cycles (years) old. He shut his eyes and sighed.

"Hitomi…please come back to me soon," he whispered, the pendant he wore around his neck glowed for a brief moment. He looked up at the Mystic Moon and prayed that his love would come back to him soon, and safely. He'd lost both his parents at a young age, Folken had died in the battle against Ziabach only a cycle ago. His sister, she'd vanished into no where during a visit to the Kingdom of Austuria. Now…Merle and Hitomi was all he had left keeping him going. 


	2. Sncronized Dreams

Once again Hitomi was alone, Minato was down stairs doing homework, her parents had gone out shopping, and her brother was playing video games

Once again Hitomi was alone, Minato was down stairs doing homework, her parents had gone out shopping, and her brother was playing video games. She sighed, maybe when Minato was done they'd go out walking, she felt so cooped up physically and emotionally. She sat up and hugged her pillow to her chest, she wished she could go back, but she couldn't for two reasons. 1) She didn't know how, and 2) she didn't know if she could leave her friends and family behind for good. She blinked a bit and pushed her bangs behind her ear, she'd let her hair grow out, so it was longer and starting to become annoying, but she didn't cut it. She went up on her knees and grabbed her deck of tarot cards off of her dresser. She didn't know how long she had stared at the box before her cousin walked in, plopping her books on the end of her bed. Since their grandmother had passed, Minato had moved in with Hitomi and her family, and since it was a small apartment the two girls had ended up sharing the small room, not that either of them minded it. 

"Hitomi, you okay?" Minato said kneeling in front of Hitomi. Hitomi blinked and shook her head a tiny bit looking up at Minato. 

"I'm fine…" she said slowly. Minato grabbed her hand that held the tarot cards and smiled, Hitomi had not done a reading in over a year.

"Let's do a reading…together," Minato suggested. Hitomi blinked, she wasn't so sure then finally relented. Together they said the names of the cards as they were laid out in between the two of them. 

"Wheel of Fortune"

"The Emperor"

"The World" they both said, Hitomi blinked looking over the cards, it couldn't be happening, not again, a vision racked her body, but she felt no pain like she had the first times she had had visions of pain and destruction. 

"Hitomi…" Minato's voice drew her out of thought, but when her eyes opened they were rushing through black space, stars passed by, and they were surrounded in a shimmering white light. 

"What…this can't be happening," Hitomi said looking up, though she smiled she was going back. 

"Gaia…" Minato whispered and closed her eyes, she did not see Hitomi look at her in surprise that her cousin could possibly know the name given to the sister planet of earth. The planet where her beloved prince lived, and was in the beautiful city of Fanelia. Those who looked out there windows that night in Fanelia, would have seen the shimmering white light and the two figures descending in it land in the forest near the castle. Any of the guards that would have dared enter the sacred garden where Escaflowne rested would have seen the energist glow for a brief moment in time. That is what alerted Van. The pendant Hitomi had given to him before she had returned to the Mystic Moon glowed in sync with Escaflowne's energist. 

"Hitomi?" Van questioned and turned to look out his chamber window, only to see the pillar of light vanish from where it had come from. 


	3. Welcome to Gaia

Chapter Three:  ****

Chapter Three: 

Hitomi woke slowly, her mind and vision was cloudy. She could tell that she was in a warm bed, the heavy covers pulled up to her chin, she shifted her head so she could look around to see where she was and a damp cloth fell off of her forehead. She blinked clearing her vision and went wide-eyed with surprise when she saw who was sleeping in the chair beside the massive bed. She wanted so bad to sit up, but her body would not let her. 

"Van…" she whispered as if to make sure she was not dreaming and not to wake him up. She then remembered the tarot reading that she and her cousin had done moments before she had been swept away to Gaia in the warm and familiar pillar of light. The figure of Van stirred a tiny bit and his eyes opened slowly, his black hair was still as messy as ever and fell in front of his eyes, but she could still make out the color of them and she smiled a tiny bit to herself.

"Hitomi…you're awake," he said as he took the cloth and put it into a basin of water before placing it back on her forehead. 

"Yes…how long was I out?" she asked him slowly closing her eyes as he placed the cloth on her burning forehead.

"Two solar cycles" (meaning in Mystic Moon terms 'Two days'), Van said slowly running his hand down the side of her face then abruptly pulled his hand away. Her eyes stayed closed but she blushed a tiny bit, the blush standing out on her pale face. 

"Van…was there anyone with me when I came back to Gaia?" she asked him, not too sure of the answer, or if she had indeed seen Minato pulled to Gaia with her.

"No, I saw the pillar of light at the base of Escaflowne, you were passed out cold there alone at it's base," he said looking at her curiously then pulled the pendant from around his neck.

"This is yours," he said, a slight smile pulling at his lips as he placed it in her hands and closed her fingers around it. Hitomi blushed a bit but he gave her no time to answer as he stood up and left the room.

"I'll leave you to rest a bit more," he said as he shut the door slowly. 

"Lord Van! Is Hitomi awake? Can I go in and see her now?" a high pitched voice yelled with excitement and Van placed a finger over his own lips to motion her to be silent.

"Hitomi is still resting, don't worry Merle, you'll have time to annoy her later," he said as he walked down the hallway.

"And what is that supposed to mean!" Merle yelled after him then slumped down beside Hitomi's door where she had been since Van had brought her to the castle two solar cycles ago. As Van walked to meet with his court he thought about what Hitomi had asked him.

__

"…was there anyone with me when I came back to Gaia?" Hitomi had asked. He closed his eyes as he placed a hand on the throne room doors.

"Why would Hitomi think that?" he thought silently to himself then pushed the door open and walked into the room full of the men that he trusted with his life and the lives of everyone in his kingdom. 

***

Millerna looked to her husband Dryden, he was still being much to over protective of her, more so than Allen or her father or sisters had ever been.

"Honestly Dryden, I'm only two months with child, you worry too much," Millerna finally said. Dryden looked at her and sighed a bit placing a hand on top of his head he scratched his rugged brown hair.

"Ah, Millerna, it's just I am worried for your well being and for the baby," he said. Millerna nodded, he'd been like this since she'd told him about the baby. 

"Princess Millerna!" a voice yelled from out in the hall. Millerna and Dryden's heads turned to the guard that ran through the door. The man rested a hand on the side of the door for a moment and caught his breath before bowing to the two.

"What is it Cristo?" Dryden asked looking at the guard.

"Sir Allen and the Crusade II have returned ahead of schedule…he requests your aid Princess Millerna…he says its an emergency," the man said looking to Millerna breathing hard from his run up the stairs. Millerna stood and made her way to the door, what could Allen possibly think to be such an emergency that he should come back from the scout trip almost a week early. 

"Thank you, where is Sir Allen and his crew?" Millerna asked, Dryden moved to follow her.

"In the court yard your highness," he said standing straight and led the two royalties down the stone stairs. In the massive court yard a crowd had gathered, the over bearing ship, the Crusade II, was in the far end, where most of the crowd was. 

"Princess Millerna, sorry to have you rush down here, but Allen says it's…" Gadis started to say but Dryden finished for him.

"I know, an emergency," he finished. Millerna shot him a look then looked to Gadis. 

"Where is Allen?" she asked him. Gadis merely stepped to the side to reveal is boss, Allen Schezar stood before Millerna, most of his hair tied back by a leather strip, odd pieces of the blond hair framing his face. But it was what was in his arms that caught Millerna's immediate attention. In his arms lay a girl, no older than she was, if not maybe a bit younger, her black hair was long and fell limply down from Allen's arms. She was unconscious and her arms and legs covered in cuts and bruises, what was even stranger, was she wore clothes similar to Hitomi's. 

"Allen…" she started to say looking up at the knight.

"I don't know her name, we found her on the borders of Austuria like this, she's been unconscious for almost three solar cycles now, if not longer. I figured this was an emergency, and if anyone knew what to do, you would Millerna," he said quietly looking down at the girl. Her face was twisted in pain as if trapped in some horrid nightmare.

"Quickly, bring her this way," Millerna said as she turned and moved back into the castle, waiting for Allen and Dryden to follow her. She walked into the room that Hitomi had used the last time she had been on Gaia and in Austuria and pointed to the bed.

"Lay her down there, I will have a look at her," she said as she shooed the two men out of the room. She moved over to the side of the bed and sat in a chair, brushing a few strands of the girl's hair away from her face and shoulders she looked her over. She frowned, the girl would probably be out for another few hours or a few more solar cycles, depending on the trauma she'd been through, it was hard to judge. She checked the girl's pulse and blinked when her eyes suddenly snapped open. 

"Hitomi" the girl said, a whisper, but still loud enough for Millerna to decipher what she had said. 


	4. Found

Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

Hitomi sighed, she'd been awake for almost a day now, and she was starting to wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her. More than once she'd questioned herself if she was really with Van and Merle in Fanelia, or if she had really seen Minato drawn to Gaia with her. If she had seen her, why had she come with her? Was she connected to Gaia as Hitomi was? Hitomi did not notice that Van or Merle was watching her.

"She seems sad Lord Van, doesn't she want to be here with us?" Merle asked him. Van looked a bit saddened at the thought of Hitomi not wanting to be on Gaia with him.

"I don't know Merle, she keeps asking if anyone saw anyone else from the Mystic Moon with her when she arrived in Fanelia," he said quietly. Merle's face twisted with concentration then bounded over to Hitomi before Van could stop her. 

"Hey Hitomi!" she yelled happily as she sat down on the banister in front of her. Hitomi blinked coming out of her trance like state. 

"Oh, hello Merle," she said smiling. Merle looked at her, usually Hitomi would jump a mile high when she jumped up at her like that.

"Hitomi, what's wrong? Don't you want to be here?" she asked her turning serious for a moment, causing Hitomi to blink, Merle was never serious.

"Of course I want to be here Merle, I belong here more than I belong with my own family on the Mystic Moon. But…I know what I saw, Minato came with me to Gaia, I'm so worried about her," she said tears starting to form in her eyes. She couldn't stop them from falling down her face and she blinked as Van's gloved hand wiped away the tears.

"Don't worry Hitomi, we'll look into it, and we'll find this Minato person you say came with you," he said softly. Hitomi smiled and hugged him, causing Van to blush and blink a bit, not having expected her to do that.

"Oh, thank you Van," she said, only causing Van to blush deeper red, and Merle to laugh at Van's blush, almost loosing her balance and falling off the banister. 

***

Allen looked to the girl that looked silently out the window, unknowingly in the direction of Fanelia. Millerna and Dryden had gone, leaving him to try and talk to the girl, hoping she would talk. She had uttered one word, and one word only 'Hitomi'. Maybe it was a sign that Hitomi had come back to Gaia, but he couldn't jump to conclusions. And even if she had come back, she would be with Van, her love. 

"Please, could you tell me your name? I am Allen Schezar, a knight of Austuria," he said looking to her. At the sound of his voice her eyes came to catch his gaze and she blushed a tiny bit. In some ways she reminded him of Hitomi, and in other ways she was completely different. 

"My name…is Minato Kanzaki," she said quietly but he still heard her, causing him to blink.

"Kanzaki? Then you do know Hitomi," he said moving a bit closer to her.

"Hitomi? How…how do you know my cousin?" she asked unsteadily. Allen smiled and looked down at her.

"Hitomi is a great savior of Gaia, in the Great Gaian war she stopped Ziabach forces from winning," he said, obviously proud of Hitomi and proud to know her. 

"Hitomi was?" Minato blinked a tiny bit and leaned up against the wall to support herself from collapsing to her knees. It was odd, she had known the place she was in, and yet, she didn't know why, she'd never been here before, like Hitomi had. 

"Yes, and I must ask you, Hitomi came with you to Gaia?" he asked her looking at her carefully to make sure that she was alright. 

"Yes…or at least I think she did," she said slowly. Allen looked at her sort of confused.

"What do you mean, you think?" he asked. 

"Well…we were doing a Tarot reading…and this bright white light surrounded us and lifted us up into the sky. I saw Hitomi come with me, but when I woke up, I was in here," she said motioning to the room they were in, she had not left it since she had woken up. 

"I see…she may have been drawn to Van and Fanelia, she was before," he said cautiously.

"Fanelia? That…that sounds familiar," she said blinking a tiny bit. Allen went to say something but was interrupted by the door crashing open. 

"Allen!" a girl yelled, maybe the same age as Minato, then she blushed and covered her mouth, "sorry, I didn't know you were in here," she said looking to Minato.

"Celene, what is wrong?" Allen asked her.

"Hitomi, I just got word from Fanelia's messenger, Lady Hitomi is back in Fanelia," she said excitedly. 

"Hitomi! She's in Fanelia?" Minato spoke up and Celene nodded to her. 

"Well, it seems we're going to be taking a trip, but we will have to wait for Millerna and Dryden, I know the princess will want to see Hitomi again before Dryden disallows her travelling," he said with a slight chuckle. Celene smiled, she loved to travel, she grabbed Minato's arm and started to pull her towards her room.

"Come on, I've got some clothes for you to try on," she said happily. Minato blinked, but trusting the girl followed her willingly, leaving Allen to shake his head before going to prep the Crusade II.


	5. Visions

vision

Chapter Five:

Hitomi waited anxiously for the arrival of Millerna, Dryden, Allen and the crew of the Crusade II, she missed them all dearly. It almost made her feel guilty for not being worried about Minato. 

"It's good to see the Lady Hitomi so happy again," one of Van's councilmen said as they watched Hitomi wait for The Crusade II to finish it's landing in the main courtyard of the Fanelian castle. Van merely nodded as he stood and walked over to Hitomi's side. He smiled at her and then walked to where the ship had landed and the crew had already started to descend into the courtyard. 

"Gadis!" Hitomi yelled as she hugged him then fell into conversation with them, then turned to great Millerna and Dryden. She received a hug from both and she smiled hearing of Millerna's child. 

"Where's Allen?" she asked them. Millerna smiled as she turned to Allen who was walking over with Minato.

"Minato!" Hitomi said happy to see her as she hugged her older cousin. Van blinked, so Hitomi had come with another girl, he then smiled and nodded to Allen. 

"Minato, you're safe, I was so worried when I woke up here and you weren't with me," Hitomi said almost crying. Minato blinked then smiled hugging her cousin back.

"Oh Hitomi I'm fine, the people of Austuria have been so nice to me," she said as Celene came up behind them. Celene had given Minato one of her dresses, a floor length pink one, that suited her well. Hitomi turned to thank Allen for taking care of her cousin then blinked, at almost the same time Minato did, was it a vision? Minato sunk to her knees and clutched her forehead while Hitomi wrapped her arms tightly around herself and sank to the ground, their eyes glassed over and they went into a trance like state. 

"Hitomi!" Van yelled as Allen had already reached Minato's side and was trying to break her trance.

"Minato what's wrong?" he asked. Almost in unison Minato and Hitomi collapsed, Hitomi falling into Van's awaiting arms and Minato into the arms of a startled Allen. 

"Quickly, bring her with me," Van said as he picked Hitomi up into his arms. Van nodded and picked up Hitomi's cousin, he was getting used to this, but it was still startling. Hitomi had been a shock, was her cousin a profit as well?

***

In there vision they both saw the same thing. It was Fanelia, and it seemed like they were in the middle of a celebration, when the dragons came, it was supposed to be a blessing, but something had annoyed them. Was it the celebration, or was it just something that was coming. The dragons heads turned to look at Hitomi and Minato, who turned to follow their gaze.

"The Mystic Valley? But why has the portal opened? And why over Fanelia?" Hitomi asked out loud. Minato looked pale, then, fire wrapped around the two and then everything went black.

***

Van stood with Allen on the balcony, the two girl's had been asleep for an hour or so, and they'd been talking. Van was wondering about the girl that was Hitomi's sister, for a few minutes they had stopped talking. 

"Van? I know you're worried very much about Hitomi, why do you not ask her to stay here with you?" Allen suddenly asked him, catching him a bit off guard. Van looked towards the garden where his parents graves were, along with Folken's and the mighty guymelef Escaflowne rested.

"I was planning on asking her to stay here when she woke up the first time, but then she's been worried about Minato, so I didn't" he said quietly. Allen nodded, Hitomi and Van were meant to be together, but fate and distance so far had prevented that from happening. Star crossed lovers is what they were. 

"Do you think she will go back with her cousin?" Van asked him. Allen shrugged, it was not certain, Hitomi loved Van, that much was clear. But would she leave her own world to be with him? Van turned to look into the room where the two girl's slept, he should have known that her cousin would posses the same abilities as Hitomi. He sighed and silently wondered what their vision had been about.


	6. Visit to Escaflowne

family

Chapter Six: 

Hitomi woke slowly, the usual fogginess of awareness came back to her slowly after the vision she'd had. Had Minato in fact seen the vision too or had that been her imagination. Her eyes drifted shut for a moment then opened hearing someone enter her room. She tilted her head on the pillow and smiled seeing Celene and Millerna.

"Hitomi, you're okay," Millerna said as she kneeled down beside the bed and placed a hand on her forehead, Celene merely stood at the side of the bed behind her princess. 

"Yeah…how's Minato?" Hitomi asked her. Millerna looked up at Celene who whistled innocently.

"She's fine, she was out in the gardens already with Celene," Millerna said narrowing her eyes a bit at the younger girl.

"Where is she now?" Hitomi said sitting up slowly. Millerna kept her gaze on Celene still.

"Uh…well, she's still in the gardens," Celene said somewhat nervously. 

"Don't worry Hitomi, Van and Allen have gone to find her," Millerna reassured her then smiled as she stood, "you need to rest Hitomi," she said and motioned for Celene to leave the room. Frowning Celene did as told and crossed her arms walking out of the room. Hitomi blinked a tiny bit and looked at Millerna who was smiling and Hitomi instantly knew why. 

"Millerna…?" she questioned.

"Two months," she answered the smile growing a bit. Hitomi laughed a tiny bit and looked to her friend shaking her head a tiny bit, glad that she was happy with Dryden. Now, she only wished that she could find that same happiness, though she knew, the only person she would ever be happy with would be Van. But she still wasn't sure if she could give up life on the Mystic Moon to be with him.

***

Van was the one that found Minato, she was standing motionless at the base of Escaflowne looking up at it cautiously as if not sure what to make of it. He watched her silently, she seemed to know that this was a sacred place, for she was very silent. She turned her head slightly and Van could have almost seen a saddened expression on the girl's face as she stopped and looked at the graves of his parents and Folken. It wasn't until he went to take another step forward did she realize that someone was watching her.

"Van…ah…sorry if I was intruding…I just sort of felt drawn to this spot," she said quietly looking back up at the dormant Escaflowne. Van stepped up beside her and looked up at Escaflowne, glad that he did not have to use it for battle anymore.

"It is the graves of my family," he told her looking at her. Her expression was still sad and he silently wondered why. 

"Folken…." She said softly placing a hand over the gravestone causing Van to blink a bit and look a bit closer at the girl. There was something so strange about her, more so then Hitomi had ever been. 

"Minato…" Van started to say but stopped when she looked at him, around her neck was Hitomi's pendant. Or was it? Did Minato have one of her own, but that would mean she would have had some sort of connection to Gaia and to Atlantis. 

"Minato! Van!" Allen's voice reached them causing the two of them to spin around and catch a glimpse of Allen's hair.

"Over here Allen! I found her!" Van yelled cupping his hands over his mouth. Minato walked with Allen and Van back towards the castle, wondering silently what Van had been going to ask her, then stopped as the two of them stopped at the bottom steps of the castle. In front of them was a young man, maybe Allen's age if not a bit younger and neither of the two looked happy to see this stranger. Allen instantly stood in front of Minato hiding her from view.

"What no warm welcomes from the King of Fanelia?" the man asked rather sarcastically looking at Allen cautiously seemingly not too interested in Minato at the moment. 

"Prince Kazic, it's nice to see you again" Van said obviously lying to him. This caused Kazic to grin a tiny bit then he looked at the girl behind Allen. 

"And who do we have here?" he said grabbing her wrist and pulling her out from behind Allen causing her to wince slightly in pain. 

"Hey let go!" she yelled going to tug her wrist back from his grip. 

"Hey! Mr. All the girls should belong to me! Let her go!" Allen yelled narrowing his eyes at Kazic. Minato pulled her wrist from his grip and moved back behind Allen and Van as they drew their swords. 

"Either tell me what you are doing in Fanelia or I will send you back to Ardania in several small pieces" Van said glaring at him. 

"Dear King Van, put your sword away it is rather insulting. I had heard rumors that the great savior of Gaia was once again here in Fanelia, and I only wished to meet her," he said grinning a bit, "would it be that one?" he asked coldly looking to Minato who was clinging to Allen's arm now. 

"No! And you will stay away from the Lady Hitomi, do I make myself clear Kazic?" Van said resheathing his sword. 

"Oh, perfectly clear," he said, then turned to Minato "but you did not say anything about this darling one here," he said and went to take a step towards her but was stopped as Allen kissed her. 

"I'm afraid my darling here has had quite a scare, come along Minato," he said taking her hand and led her up the stairs, leaving Kazic in quite a state of anger. Van smirked a tiny bit, the same trick he had used on Diladau when he'd been interested in Hitomi that first time, and it still worked. 

"I suggest you leave Kazic, there is nothing here, and I have no business with you," he said as he walked past him following Allen and Minato. 

"I will get what I want from you, Allen, and from your pathetic country, Van Fanel, make no mistake about that" Kazic thought to himself as he spun around, his long cape flowing behind him as he walked back to his carriage. 


	7. It's Just a Pure Love

love

~*~ Okay sorry, this one is rather short but sweet hope you enjoy so far ^_^

Diamond Wing Pegasus ~*~

Chapter Seven:

Hitomi blinked as she watched Minato talk with Allen, then turned to Van who'd been watching her closely since he had come back into the castle with them. 

"Hitomi…listen…I uh…I wanted to ask you something," Van said quietly. Getting her attention Hitomi blinked again and turned to face him. 

"What is it Van?" she asked him watching his face. She'd always been able to tell what he was thinking by watching his face, though sometimes she took the meaning the wrong way, she hoped now was not one of those times. 

"Well…Hitomi, I want you to stay here, in Fanelia with me," he said trailing off a tiny bit. Hitomi blinked and looked at him, there was no question that she would stay in Fanelia. 

"Of course I will Van, Fanelia is like a second home to me," she told him. Van blinked and looked up at her blushing a tiny bit.

"No Hitomi, see…I want you to stay here as my Queen," he told her blushing an even deeper crimson red colour. Hitomi blinked a few times before what he'd just asked her finally sunk in. 

"Van…are you asking me to marry you?" she asked him blinking. Van took her hand gently and looked into her eyes. 

"Yes Hitomi I am, I should have told you before you left the first time what you meant to me. Hitomi, I know I'm asking you to give up so many things, like your family, your own world even, but I love you Hitomi, and I want you to stay here with me. I know…I must sound so selfish to you…" he said but was cut off as she hugged him.

"Oh Van…of course I will…I want to stay here with you," she told him as she looked up at him, a few tears brimming her eyes. 

"Hitomi, you're crying," he said brushing the few tears from her face. 

"Because I've wanted to hear you say that…because I love you too Van," she said quietly so only he could hear her. Van blinked and looked down at her, he smiled a genuine smile then he bent his head down slowly, and giving her enough time to pull away, and pressed his lips to hers gently. Hitomi's eyes closed as she savored her first kiss with the person she loved the most.


	8. What Could Have Been, What Should Have B...

varie 

Chapter Eight:

Minato blinked as she looked out the window of the room she shared with Hitomi for now. The earth was high in the sky, or as the people here called it, The Mystic Blue Moon. Hitomi was going to stay here with Van, she seemed so happy with him. But then what would she do, how would she get home? She shut her eyes and thought for a moment then shook her head. She should stay here, nothing was waiting for her back on the Mystic Moon. 

"Minato? Is something bothering you?" Hitomi's voice broke her train of thought. 

"Huh? Oh, no. Nothing is bothering me Hitomi, don't worry about me," she said looking back up at the earth. 

"Hitomi…what is that?" Minato asked pointing to a gold type ring hanging in the sky.

"That?" Hitomi blinked, it just couldn't be, "is the gateway to the mystic valley," she said slowly. Minato blinked, that was odd, she seemed drawn to it, and almost wanting to go there to explore it, to see what it was. 

"The Mystic Valley?" she questioned then saw several of Van's soldiers rush out, it was then that both Hitomi and Minato started to feel odd. 

"Van!" Hitomi yelled as her body started to dissipate. She didn't know what was happening, she couldn't be going back to earth, she didn't want to. 

"Hitomi!" Minato yelled as she clutched her cousin's hand. When the two girls opened their eyes again they were within the Mystic Valley, though not together. 

***

Varie Fanel stood close by to the unconscious girl, her eyes held an emotion of long time sorrow. Though she knew Hitomi would be well, but Minato, she was not so sure. It had been a long time since she had seen the girl, and she didn't know what to expect. She stood there as the girl began to awaken, her eyes opening ever so slowly.

"Minato, wake up child," her soothing voice said almost a whisper. At the sound of the voice Minato's eyes shot open and she sat up on her bed. 

"Who? Who are you? Do I know you?" she asked the woman standing in front of her. There was a look of, almost, hurt on the woman's face as she asked all these questions. 

"My name is Varie Fanel," she said quietly. Minato blinked a few times as she stood up and looked around, as if she knew where she was and who this woman was.

"You're Van's mother?" Minato asked.

"Yes Minato…and yours,". With that, Minato paled slightly, it couldn't be true, if that were the case than why was she ever on the Mystic Moon? It didn't make sense, at that instant a million questions screamed through her head and she once again fainted from its overwhelming feeling. 

***

When Minato once again awoke she didn't know where she was, it seemed familiar, yet she didn't know why. The woman, her mother, was at her side and looking at her worriedly. 

"Where are we?" she asked cautiously. 

"We are, where you left for the Mystic Moon so long ago," Varie explained.

"What do you mean? I don't understand any of this," she said obviously very confused.

"You had accompanied me to the dragon's den in search of your brother Folken. When the dragon's attacked I gave you my red pendant, the last thing I had received from my mother before going to Fanelia with your father. I sent you with the power of my wishes to the Mystic Valley, for I knew there was someone there who would care for you. That man, was Allen's father, Leon Schezar" she explained. As she said this Minato looked around, it seemed true, yet there was still something that was holding her back from believing it all. Seeing her state she continued with her explanation.

"He knew that the Mystic Valley would not be safe forever, because Dornkirk now knew where to search for the power of Atlantis. And if he found you there, everything, including you would be destroyed. So when he left the Mystic Valley he made a wish on a pendant, similar to the one I had given you, and he wished to see the woman from the Mystic Moon that he had met years before. When she came, he couldn't believe his eyes, she had not aged, but she knew who he was. He sent you away with her, for her to protect you, not knowing what would become of him, or Gaia if Dornkirk ever got a hold of the power of Atlantis," she finished looking to Minato now. Blinking Minato looked at Varie and almost started to cry. 

"Mom…" and than hugged her like she would never get the chance to again, what she didn't know, was that she never would.


	9. More than One Thing Has Been Found

Chapter Nine

"Minato!" Hitomi yelled then bit down on her thumb, something was wrong, she should have found her by now. She had already returned from the Mystic Valley, so why couldn't she find her cousin. 

"Minato please answer me!" Hitomi yelled out again. 

"Lady Hitomi…it is late, maybe you should return to your rooms and let the guards continue to search for the Lady Minato?" Kazic said, a bit of a sneer on his face. Hitomi did not like him one bit, and she wished that he would just leave Fanelia. The announcement of her engagement to Van had not yet become public knowledge, and she did not want to anger this prince.

"Very well, when she is found I wished to be informed," she said and hurriedly left his presence. Prince Kazic grinned and turned, walking off into the forests of Fanelia, he had quite a little surprise for them all. 

"Any sign of her Van?" Allen asked as he looked to his friend.

"Not yet, and we've looked almost everywhere," Van stated. 

"Well…where hasn't been searched yet?" Allen asked and Van rested his hand under his chin thinking for a moment.

"Escaflowne…I found her there once before," Van said and started to run towards the great monument. When he did arrive at the monument, he'd left Allen far behind him, he couldn't believe his eyes. Minato was there all right, but so was a very angelic figure.

"Mother?" he asked. Varie's eyes opened and caught his gaze. 

"I am so glad to see you Van, do not worry, she is fine," she said as she stood up and handed Minato to Van. She brushed the hair away from Minato's eyes as she lay in her son's arms.

"Watch over her, she's your little sister Van, teach her what it is she needs to know," was all she managed to say before she vanished.

"Sister?" Van muttered out looking down at the girl in his arms, the likeness was very close to him and his little sister. 

"Van!" Allen yelled as he finally caught up to him. Van turned around and handed his 'sister' to Allen, he was in shock. 

"Are you okay Van? You look pale," Allen said as he picked up the girl from Van.

"My sister…" was all he managed to say as he led Allen up the stairs to the palace. Allen was rightly confused, so he didn't ask questions and kept walking. 

***

Hitomi looked for Van now, Minato had been safely returned, and she was on the mend. Millerna and Allen were constantly looking over her to make sure she was all right. She came to a door in the castle that had been shut and locked previously so she walked in, only to find her fiancé sitting on the small bed looking at a tiny picture.

"Van?" she asked as she sat down beside him, she was sure he hadn't noticed her.

"She's my sister…" Van said and handed the picture to Hitomi who brushed the dust from the image.

"She looks like Minato did at that age," she stated looking over the girl's features.

"She is Minato…" Van said very quietly. Hitomi almost dropped the picture as he said this.

"But…how? I mean she's…" she stammered not really grasping the thought of Minato being a Draconian and from Fanelia. 

"She is…my mother told me…I found her at Escaflowne," Van said and closed his eyes, "but only Minato can tell me what happened to her all those years ago when I though she and my mother were killed at the Dragon's lair," Van said as he turned to look at Hitomi. Hitomi was looking at him a bit pale, but she hugged him.

"Oh Van, I'm so happy she came back to you," she whispered in his ear and Van returned the hug. 

"Now that all is well…we can announce our engagement and plan our wedding," Van said as he kissed Hitomi's neck causing her to laugh a bit.

"Yes, we will…but maybe we should wait until after Minato explains to us what has happened?" Hitomi suggested prying his lips off of her neck.

"I suppose that would be best," he said faking a frown. Hitomi sighed and kissed his lips softly and led him out of the room. 

"Come on, she's awake now, we can ask her now," Hitomi said and Van grinned as he followed her.


	10. The Past Brought to Light

Van watched his sister as she sat with her back pressed to the headboard, in her hand was her pendant, or rather it was their mother's pendant.   
"Minato? Do you want to tell us what happened?" Millerna urged her. Hitomi was sitting on the edge of the bed beside the girl she had always thought was her cousin, but would now be her sister-in-law.   
"I don't know...it hurts to remember what happened," she stated quietly. Van was standing beside Allen his arms crossed over his chest and he approached the foot of the bed, placing his hands on the footboard.  
"Minato, you're my sister, and I need to know what happened to you all those years ago. Some ghosts need to be put at rest," he told her. Minato blinked, wide eyed, then nodded her head in submission.   
"Okay. After I went with mother to the Dragon's layer, she gave me her pendant and wished me to a safe place. I didn't know what was happening, and I found myself in the Mystic Valley, the last remnants of the Draconian race's home. I wasn't alone for very long there a man came to the Valley. He'd been searching for it forever, and he told me that now that he'd found it, he could go home to his family, but he couldn't, Dornkirk was following him," her voice had a hint of sadness in it and she looked to Allen.  
"The man looked after me for a few years before I left the Valley with him to protect it, I didn't want to be alone. His name was Leon Schezar," she trailed off to judge Allen's expression then continued.   
"When Dornkirk's men attacked I wanted to help, but I was just a little girl, so I hid where I could like he told me to. When it was over and I tried to help him, he made a wish on the pendant he had found and wished to see 'her' again," she stated.  
"Grandmother..." Hitomi blinked as she looked to Minato, that was how she'd got to Earth from Gaea.   
"That's right, I left for the Blue Moon with her, and she took care of me, I just...I guess I forgot about everything, I was so young..." she wiped a few tears from her eyes and blinked as Van hugged her.   
"It is okay Minato, you're home now," he rocked her back and forth and Hitomi smiled then turned her gaze as she heard the door shut. Out of the people in the room, no one had left, so who had it been.  
***  
Outside Minato's room Prince Kazick stood his fist clenched, yet a wicked grin plastered across his face.  
"Oh what fun this will be, I will make you pay...and what's better, both Van and Allen will pay for this," he laughed cruelly as he began to walk down the hall, ignoring the odd looks he was getting from some of the Palace guards. 


End file.
